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The A Team
The A Team is a song by Ed Sheeran which appears as the first track from his debut album +. The song serves as his lead single from the album. Background and release "'The A Team' came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter", says Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics. I wanted to write it so it sounded kind of upbeat, so you wouldn't really know what it's about, because it's quite a dark subject." In a video interview with Billboard, Sheeran explained the song's title. "A drug like crack cocaine is called a 'Class A drug'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle." The single was released 1 May 2011, in the UK through Atlantic Records. In U.S. "The A Team" was serviced to radio format Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) on 27 February 2012. wikipedia.org - Background and release Critical Reception "The A Team" has received critical acclaim by music critics. Ryan Reed from Billboard praised the songwriting and musical composition writing, "the song is a dark yet overwhelmingly tuneful slice of jazz-folk. Built on palm-muted guitars and a simmering string arrangement, Sheeran chronicles a young girl's descent into an endless web of drug addiction and prostitution: "Stuck in her daydream… Lately, her face seems slowly sinking, wasting, crumbling like pastries," he sings. A songwriting prodigy—he released his first two albums while still in high school—and up-and-coming phenom in his native Britain, Sheeran has an unflinching eye for subtle details and colorful imagery, and his music is full of soulful vocal runs and patient atmosphere. Although the subject matter of "The A Team" isn't exactly radio-friendly, the hook sure is." wikipedia.org - Reception Chart Performance The track made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number three on 19 June 2011 – entering as the second highest new entry behind Calvin Harris and Kelis' "Bounce", which debuted at number two. After being serviced to radio formats in U.S., the song made its first American chart entry on Billboard's component Adult Pop Songs at number thirty-eight. It also debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since peaked at number 16, becoming his first top 20 hit on the chart. It also peaked at 29 on the Canadian Hot 100. wikipedia.org - Performance Music Video The video was uploaded to YouTube on 22 April 2010. It was shot and edited by Ruskin Kyle. Ed Sheeran - The A Team Acoustic Synopsis TBA Reception TBA Credits *'Director:' Ruskin Kyle *'Producer:' Jake Gosling *'Cinematographer:' Ruskin Kyle *'Production company:' Rivers Rush Video Production Company Remixes Ed Sheeran - The A Team (Koan Sound Remix) Ed_Sheeran - The A Team (True Tiger Remix) Lyrics Audio Click here to listen to it on Deezer References Category:Singles Category:Songs Category:Songs from + Category:Songs from Loose Change Category:2010 releases